Bastazo!

A POWERFUL STATEMENT OF CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY COMES IN ACTS 4:32, THAT PROCLAIMS, “ALL THE BELIEVERS WERE ONE IN HEART AND MIND. NO ONE CLAIMED THAT ANY OF THEIR POSSESSIONS WAS THEIR OWN, BUT THEY SHARED EVERYTHING THEY HAD…AND GOD’S GRACE WAS SO POWERFULLY AT WORK IN THEM ALL THAT THERE WERE NO NEEDY PERSONS AMONG THEM.”

WHEN WE SURRENDER OUR LIVES TO JESUS CHRIST AND BECOME A CHRISTIAN, OUR LIVES ARE NO LONGER INDEPENDENT. THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IS NOW INCLUDED AS PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST KNOWN AS THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL.

THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER IS NO LONGER SEGREGATED. COLLECTIVELY, WE ARE KNIT TOGETHER SUPERNATURALLY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A FAMILY IN COMMON BOND OF AGAPE LOVE.

AS I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE, YOU CANNOT SPELL “TEAM” WITH AN “I”….BECAUSE “TEAM” IS AN ACRONYM FOR “TOGETHER, EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE.” WE HAVE OUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES….YES, BUT WE ARE ALSO JUST AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL WELFARE OF OTHERS.

I LIKE WHAT THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS IN OUR “BOOK OF DISCIPLINE” IN “REGARDS TO THE CHURCH” IN ¶3412 “LOVE OF OTHERS:” “GROWTH IN CHRIST REQUIRES TAKING RESPONSIBILITY TO LOVE OTHERS, ALL OF WHOM ARE LOVED BY GOD AND MADE IN HIS IMAGE. THE QUALITY OF CHRISTIANS’ RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIVES…CHRISTIANS EXPRESS THEIR LOVE BOTH BY DEEDS OF KINDNESS AND BY PERSONAL WORDS OF WITNESS THAT POINT TO CHRIST AS THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD’S LOVE AND THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.”

IN THAT SAME CHAPTER, THERE ARE TWO MORE PARAGRAPHS (¶3413/3421) REGARDING SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND STEWARDSHIP OF POSSESSIONS. TWO VERY IMPORTANT STATEMENTS STAND OUT:

ONE: “THE HOLY SPIRIT ENDOWS EVERY BELIEVER WITH NATURAL ABILITIES FOR SERVICE AND MINISTRY. THESE ARE A TRUST TO BE USED IN WAYS THAT GLORIFY GOD.

TWO: AS STEWARDS WE GIVE GENEROUSLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AND TO SUPPORT MINISTRY. THOUGH WE HOLD TITLE TO POSSESSIONS UNDER CIVIL LAW, WE REGARD ALL WE HAVE AS THE PROPERTY OF GOD ENTRUSTED TO US AS STEWARDS.”

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS: WE ARE EACH GIVEN ENOUGH THAT IS JUST ENOUGH TO GIVE IT AWAY GENEROUSLY! AND THAT’S ENOUGH TO GLORIFY GOD! THAT MEANS WE CRUSH THE LIES AND LIVE ABOVE THAT DECEPTION OF “THE CAN’TS”….I JUST CAN’T DO THAT…I CAN’T AFFORD IT…I CAN’T FIND THE TIME.”

WE ARE COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY OUT OF EXCUSES ONCE WE STOP AND CONSIDER NOT ONLY THE TALENTS AND ABILITIES GOD GIVES US, BUT LOOK OUT AND SEE ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES HE UNFOLDS AND LAYS OUT BEFORE US ON A DAILY BASIS!

JAMES 4:17 (NLT) SAYS: “REMEMBER IT IS SIN TO KNOW WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO AND THEN NOT DO IT.”THIS IS WHY PAUL SAID IN VERSE 3, “IF YOU THINK YOU ARE TOO IMPORTANT TO HELP SOMEONE, YOU ARE ONLY FOOLING YOURSELF. YOU ARE NOT THAT IMPORTANT.”

PAUL WAS ADDRESSING THOSE WHO REFUSED TO HELP AND ENGAGE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. HE WAS ADDRESSING THOSE WHO WERE CONCEITED AND THOUGHT THEMSELVES TOO HIGHLY TO DIRTY THEMSELVES WITH OTHERS’ PROBLEMS AND FAILINGS.

THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY NOT MAKING THE EFFORT, AT ALL, TO CARE ABOUT OTHERS. BY BEING “SELECTIVE” ON WHO THEY WOULD AND WOULD NOT HELP, PAUL WAS SAYING THAT THEIR LACK OF LOVE FOR OTHERS REVEALED THEIR WORTHLESSNESS TO THE BODY OF CHRIST AND ALSO REVEALING HOW SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT THEY HAD BECOME IN THEIR HEARTS.

NO MATTER WHAT IT IS THAT WE HAVE TO SAY, THE TRUTH OF OUR HEART WILL ALWAYS BE REVEALED BY OUR ACTIONS. IT IS VERY TRUE: ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. WE MUST SPEAK LIFE-GIVING WORDS, BUT WE MUST FOLLOW THAT UP WITH LIFE-SUSTAINING DEEDS.

WHEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY OR WHEN A NEED ARISES, WE RESPOND. WE FIND OUR WAY INTO THE SITUATION, ENGAGE, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP. IF WE CAN, THEN ACT. IF NOT, WE AT LEAST PRAY FOR THEM OR OFFER WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. IF WE KNOW OF A RESOURCE TO REFER THEM TO THEN WE GIVE THEM THE CONTACT INFORMATION OR PERHAPS TAKE THEM THERE OURSELVES.

IT IS A HELPING HAND. A LISTENING EAR. A COMFORTING VOICE. A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON. A SOURCE THAT CAN BE TRUSTED. THIS, AS PAUL SAID IS WHAT “FULFILLS THE LAW OF CHRIST” TO LOVE OTHERS.

THAT IS WHY THIS MESSAGE IS ENTITLED “BASTAZO!” THIS IS THE GREEK VERB PAUL IS USING FOR THE WORD “BEAR.” WE ARE TO “BASTAZO”….BEAR EACH OTHERS BURDENS.

THE VERB MEANS TO “TAKE UP IN ORDER TO CARRY” OR “TO PUT UPON ONE’S SELF AS IF TO CARRY.” IT IS ALSO TRANSLATED AS “TO SUSTAIN” OR “TO UPHOLD AND SUPPORT.”

WITHOUT QUESTION THE GREATEST EVIDENCE OF DIVINE LOVE THAT CAN BE SEEN IN THE WORLD TODAY IS WHEN CHRISTIANS LOVINGLY AND PASSIONATELY SUPPORT EACH OTHER THROUGH THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE….NOT ONLY HEAVY AND PAINFUL BURDENS AND THE JOYS AND CELEBRATIONS OF LIFE, BUT THE EVERY DAY EVENTS OF DAILY LIFE.